标签： Jamaica

ANNATTO BAY, St. Mary — A transformative initiative is bringing legal electricity and renewed dignity to residents of rural Jamaica through the government’s Rural Electrification Programme (REP). The program, implemented through a partnership between the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport and the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), is regularizing previously unauthorized connections while installing proper electrical infrastructure.

Sixty-year-old Kerron Buchanan, once disconnected from the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) grid due to unaffordable accumulating bills, now watches with anticipation as certified electricians install a new breaker box at his Cargill Lane residence. “I maintained monthly payments, but the carried-over balances became insurmountable,” Buchanan recounted, describing the financial strain that led to his disconnection.

Buchanan is among more than 70 Annatto Bay residents who received complete household rewiring on January 21, marking a significant step in normalizing their electrical access. The emotional impact was palpable as Buchanan shared his immediate plans: “The first thing I will do is play some music and clean up the place.”

Local cosmetologist Malika Murray expressed profound relief at transitioning from an illegal connection to authorized service. She described the constant anxiety of living with unauthorized electricity: “When you see a JPS vehicle, your heart leaps because you don’t know if they’re coming with police to your house.” Murray praised the utility’s initiative and committed to maintaining regular payments, encouraging fellow community members to embrace legal connections. “No more hide and seek. Legal light, and it feels good,” she beamed.

The current initiative continues work that began in 2023 under former Member of Parliament Dr. Norman Dunn, with Annatto Bay representing the first phase in St. Mary South Eastern where over 100 households were previously regularized. REP liaison officer Omar Love confirmed the program’s expansion across the constituency, with more than 300 residents slated for regularization.

Established with a mandate to extend electricity access to rural regions, REP supports the government’s broader objective of island-wide power availability to stimulate economic development. The institutional framework was strengthened in 2006 when JSIF signed a memorandum of understanding with REP and JPS to facilitate household regularization across 12 inner-city communities. The program encompasses complete household wiring and certification of contractor-performed electrical work.

Jamaica’s national electricity provider has declared a comprehensive underground power grid financially unfeasible despite growing political pressure for storm-resistant infrastructure. The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) presented this assessment during a parliamentary committee hearing that examined grid resilience strategies following recent devastating hurricanes.

JPS President and CEO Hugh Grant, drawing from his experience with New York’s extensive underground network, informed Parliament’s Public Administration and Appropriations Committee that subterranean systems typically cost ‘north of 15 times’ more than overhead lines. While acknowledging the superior reliability of underground infrastructure, Grant emphasized that burying Jamaica’s entire electrical network would impose an overwhelming financial burden on the nation.

The debate emerged amid heightened concerns about climate resilience after Hurricane Melissa’s October 2025 devastation, which caused extended blackouts across multiple parishes. Lawmakers specifically questioned whether Jamaica’s overhead grid could withstand increasingly severe weather events and seismic activity, with St Mary Central MP Omar Newell querying earthquake preparedness and underground alternatives.

Instead of nationwide conversion, JPS is advancing a strategy of ‘selective undergrounding’ that prioritizes critical infrastructure. This targeted approach would focus protection on essential facilities like hospitals, tourism corridors, and other high-priority zones rather than attempting complete grid overhaul. Grant confirmed the company has obtained preliminary pricing for such targeted projects, noting they remain ‘extremely expensive’ but offer more achievable resilience benefits.

The discussion reflects Jamaica’s broader ‘build back better’ initiative following repeated storm seasons that have exposed vulnerabilities in overhead transmission systems, particularly in rural and coastal communities most susceptible to weather-related damage.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaican government has initiated an ambitious $1.7 billion Graded Overlay Emergency Road Rehabilitation (GO) Programme to address widespread infrastructure damage caused by Hurricane Melissa. With a target completion date set for the end of March, the comprehensive initiative aims to restore approximately 200 roadways across multiple parishes.

Minister Robert Morgan, who holds portfolio responsibility for Works within the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, provided detailed allocations during a recent post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House. The program, which commenced in December, represents one of the most significant infrastructure rehabilitation efforts in recent years.

Clarendon Parish will receive $206 million for critical repairs along major transportation corridors including Four Paths to Guinep Tree, Hazard Drive, Bustamante Highway, and routes connecting Whitney Turn, Four Paths to Freetown, and the road to Porus. Additional funding will address infrastructure in Salt River Road, Rastaman Corner, Portland Cottage, May Pen to Chapelton, Colonel’s Ridge to Kellits, Spalding, Cave Valley, Pennants, Frankfield, Summerfield and Trout Hall.

The capital region of Kingston and St. Andrew has been allocated $500 million for extensive roadway improvements. This funding will rehabilitate essential corridors including Mannings Hill Road, Washington Boulevard, Duhaney Drive, Perkins Boulevard, Red Hills Road, Slipe Road, and the connecting route from Golden Spring to Stony Hill. Additional repairs will focus on Stony Hill to Manor Park, Weymouth Drive, Arcadia, Shortwood Road, Papine Square to Gordon Town, and John Golding Road.

Western parishes will also see substantial investment, with St. James receiving $130 million for main corridor repairs and an additional $100 million designated for Montpelier works. The Montego Bay township will undergo comprehensive rehabilitation including Barnett Street, St. James Street, and Howard Cooke Boulevard, alongside the critical connecting routes from Anchovy to Shettlewood and Reading to Anchovy.

Trelawny Parish has been allocated $107 million for roadway repairs in Salt Marsh, Bengal, Falmouth, Duncans, Long Pond, Wire Fence, Warsop, and Jackson Town. Meanwhile, Westmoreland will benefit from approximately $100 million in funding for infrastructure rehabilitation in Goodens, Glasgow, Bartlett’s River, Negril, Ferris Cross, Torrington, and Scott’s Cove.

Minister Morgan emphasized that these allocations are separate from ongoing repairs addressing roads washed out by Hurricane Melissa. Despite implementation challenges including heavy rainfall and temporary asphalt plant closures, the Minister confirmed the program is progressing earnestly. Most contractors have either submitted required insurance documentation to the National Works Agency or are in the final stages of compliance, with physical work expected to commence before month’s end.

Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) CEO Hugh Grant has confirmed to parliamentary officials that an arrest has been made in connection with extortion attempts targeting customers awaiting power restoration after Hurricane Melissa. The disclosure came during Tuesday’s session of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) where legislators grilled utility executives about allegations that residents were being solicited for illegal payments to expedite electricity reconnection.

Grant expressed profound disappointment regarding these exploitative practices, stating: ‘When you say that workmen request to be paid, that hurts my heart during this unprecedented time of hardship.’ He emphasized the company’s zero-tolerance stance toward such activities and revealed that swift action had been taken upon discovering the scheme.

The JPS president outlined comprehensive countermeasures implemented since the hurricane devastated Jamaica’s power infrastructure last October. These include enhanced monitoring systems, public awareness campaigns through town criers and text messages, and deployment of security personnel to affected areas. ‘We have done town criers, we have done texts, we have also sent out our security forces in many operations,’ Grant detailed during the committee hearing.

Importantly, Grant clarified that the apprehended individual was not employed by JPS, though the company continues to collaborate closely with law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute additional offenders. The arrest comes amid widespread public frustration over prolonged outages that left tens of thousands of customers without electricity for extended periods across multiple parishes following Hurricane Melissa’s destructive path.

The utility executive urged affected communities to report any solicitation attempts immediately, promising robust response measures: ‘Give me a lead and I guarantee you we will have our security forces out there and we will ensure that we do right by the law.’